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Reconciling Groundwater Storage Depletion Due to Pumping with Sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Jac Van der Gun

    (Independent hydrogeologist, Ganzeboomsweg 3C, 7433 ES Schalkhaar, The Netherlands)

  • Annukka Lipponen

    (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland)

Abstract

Groundwater pumping causes depletion of groundwater storage. The rate of depletion incurred by any new well is gradually decreasing and eventually becomes zero in the long run, after induced recharge and reduction of natural discharge of groundwater combined (capture) have become large enough to balance the pumping rate completely. If aquifer-wide aggregated pumping rates are comparatively large, then such a new dynamic equilibrium may not be reached and groundwater storage may become exhausted. Decisions to pump groundwater are motivated by people’s need for domestic water and by expected benefits of using water for a variety of activities. But how much finally is abstracted from an aquifer (or is considered to be an optimal aggregate abstraction rate) depends on a wide range of other factors as well. Among these, the constraint imposed by the groundwater balance (preventing aquifer exhaustion) has received ample attention in the professional literature. However, other constraints or considerations related to changes in groundwater level due to pumping are observed as well and in many cases they even may dominate the decisions on pumping. This paper reviews such constraints or considerations, examines how they are or may be incorporated in the decision-making process, and evaluates to what extent the resulting pumping rates and patterns create conditions that comply with principles of sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Jac Van der Gun & Annukka Lipponen, 2010. "Reconciling Groundwater Storage Depletion Due to Pumping with Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(11), pages 1-18, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:2:y:2010:i:11:p:3418-3435:d:10054
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Harold Hotelling, 1931. "The Economics of Exhaustible Resources," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39, pages 137-137.
    2. Shah, Tushaar, 2007. "The groundwater economy of South Asia: an assessment of size, significance and socio-ecological impacts," IWMI Books, Reports H039669, International Water Management Institute.
    3. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    4. Llamas, M. R. & Garrido, A., 2007. "Lessons from intensive groundwater use in Spain: economic and social benefits and conflicts," IWMI Books, Reports H040051, International Water Management Institute.
    5. Giordano, Mark & Villholth, Karen, 2007. "The agricultural groundwater revolution: opportunities and threats to development," IWMI Books, Reports H040039, International Water Management Institute.
    6. Shah, Tushaar, 2007. "The groundwater economy of South Asia: an assessment of size, significance and socio-ecological impacts," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ashutosh Singh & Claudius Bürger & Olaf Cirpka, 2013. "Optimized Sustainable Groundwater Extraction Management: General Approach and Application to the City of Lucknow, India," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(12), pages 4349-4368, September.
    2. Edna Tusak Loehman, 2014. "Social Investment for Sustainability of Groundwater: A Revealed Preference Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(9), pages 1-41, August.
    3. Veith Becker & Anssi Myrttinen & Johannes A.C. Barth & Peter Bayer, 2011. "A Summary on the Special Issue “Sustainability of Groundwater”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(10), pages 1-4, October.
    4. Drupp, Moritz A. & Baumgärtner, Stefan & Meyer, Moritz & Quaas, Martin F. & von Wehrden, Henrik, 2020. "Between Ostrom and Nordhaus: The research landscape of sustainability economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).

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